Free things to do with kids outdoors
Finding free things to do with the kids has become more important than ever. When you invest in a pair of Warm Wellies for your kids – or yourself, it means you can stay outside for longer - because your feet will be warm and toasty, and your feet will stay super comfy too.
As the nights draw in, we are looking for outdoor activities during weekends and school holidays that don’t cost the earth. We’ve pulled together some free or cheap activity ideas to help you make the most of your Warm Wellies, keeping the kids occupied in the fresh air too.
Dog walks in warm wellies – about 3.2 million people acquired a pet since the start of the covid pandemic – and most of these were dogs. Around 1/5th of those getting a new puppy later admitted they didn’t really consider all the long-term commitments and responsibilities. But as you are an outdoor-loving family, we know your dog will be enjoying getting out in the fresh air for long walks.
Dogs love sniffing when out on a walk – it’s their way of making sense of the world and it ensures they get lots of mental stimulation. Did you know dogs have over 300 million sense receptors in their noses! That’s why it’s important to take time to let your dog sniff out the area, it’s also great for kids if you get them to turn the walk into a real welly adventure.
If you want to find some new places to walk with your dog, the National Trust has some good ideas: Click for best places to walk dogs
Woodland welly wander adventures
Forest school activities. Forest schools make the most out of our natural environment, teaching little ones some great skills as well as having adventures. Even if your little ones don’t go to a forest school, you can use create your own school playground.
In the autumn collecting pine cones and repurposing them at home as a craft activity can be extremely rewarding. Paint your cones, or turn them into decorations for your Christmas tree.
Where there are woods there’s usually water… and that means puddles for splashing in. If you have the right waterproofs on it doesn’t matter how big a splash you make, you will stay warm and dry.
Puddle jumping. As adults we avoid puddles but for kids, puddles are something to be excited about, and that’s all about developing sensory perception and motor development. Cognitive development in children is definitely enhanced with outdoor play rather than sitting in front of a video game indoors. Who can make the biggest splash? Who can make the tiniest ripple?
Make the most of MUD!! Rolling and sliding. Don’t avoid getting muddy. Again, when you have the right footwear and outerwear, mud becomes an adventure. Skidding down a mud slide, making mud pies, getting hands muddy and making handprint drawings. It really is a stimulation for the sense of touch! If you want to build up a list of things to do in mud – here is a link to Mother Natured top 20 things to do in mud: https://mothernatured.com/nature-play/mud-play-for-kids/
Identify trees and leaves. We know you can buy (at a very reasonable price), leaf identifying cards, but why not create your own and take them on your woodland adventure. Either draw them on a sheet or use your computer to create a list of leaves with names and a tick box so you can mark them off when you spot them on your welly wanders.
Wellies in water: Squelchy splashy noises, what's not to love and jumping is good exercise. Can you float a leaf down the river, play Pooh sticks or even skim a stone?
We’ll cover other ideas in our next blog including: ·
- Make a bug hotel
- Make an express insect hotel
- Make a bird feeder
Remember, if you need to order new kid's wellies to make the most of
the great outdoors ...